System, method, and computer program for adding a new network element to a network function virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network

ABSTRACT

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for adding a new element to a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network. In use, at least one new element to implement in an NFV-based communication network is identified, the at least one new element including at least one new service, at least one new virtual network function (VNF), at least one new device, or at least one new software upgrade. Additionally, the at least one new element is added to a service model associated with the NFV-based communication network, without disruption of existing elements in the NFV-based communication network. Further, a selection policy associated with the at least one new network element is generated. Moreover, the at least one new element is utilized in the NFV-based communication network, in accordance with the selection policy.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to telecommunications and/or datacommunications and, more particularly to network function virtualization(NFV) of telecommunications networks.

BACKGROUND

Network Function Virtualization is a term or a name of a proposedarchitecture of telecom services as published by the EuropeanTelecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in a series of documentsavailable from the ETSI website. NFV uses generic hardware platform andsoftware adapted for the generic hardware platform. Thus, NFV creates anetwork much more flexible and dynamic than a legacy communicationnetwork. In NFV-based networks, a Virtual Network Function (VNF)decouples the software implementation of the network function from theinfrastructure resources it runs on by virtualization. A network serviceis based on one or VNFs and/or Physical Network Functions (PNFs), theirinterconnections, and chaining definitions. The VNFs can be executed onalmost any generic hardware processing facility. Therefore, VNFs may beinstalled, removed, and moved between hardware facilities, much moreeasily, less costly and thus, more frequently.

The flexibility of the NFV-based network enhances the means availablefor optimizing the network's capacity and performance. However, currenttechniques for adding new services to existing networks are limited.

There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associatedwith the prior art.

SUMMARY

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for adding anew element to a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based)communication network. In use, at least one new element to implement inan NFV-based communication network is identified, the at least one newelement including at least one new service, at least one new virtualnetwork function (VNF), at least one new device, or at least one newsoftware upgrade. Additionally, the at least one new element is added toa service model associated with the NFV-based communication network,without disruption of existing elements in the NFV-based communicationnetwork. Further, a selection policy associated with the at least onenew network element is generated. Moreover, the at least one new elementis utilized in the NFV-based communication network, in accordance withthe selection policy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a method for adding a new element to a NetworkFunction Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified diagram of a system associated with anNFV-based communication network, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a hardware unit of anNFV-based network, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates a simplified diagram of an NFV management system, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified diagram of a deployed NFV-based network,in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of adding a new element to an NFV-basedcommunication network, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 7A illustrates a method for adding a new element to an NFV-basedcommunication network, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 7B illustrates a method for re-orchestrating existing services ofan NFV-based communication network, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a network architecture, in accordance with onepossible embodiment.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary system, in accordance with oneembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a method 100 for adding a new element to a NetworkFunction Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network, inaccordance with one embodiment.

As shown, at least one new element to implement in an NFV-basedcommunication network is identified. See operation 102. The at least onenew element includes at least one new service, at least one new virtualnetwork function (VNF), at least one new device, and/or at least one newsoftware upgrade. In one embodiment, the at least one new element mayinclude an alternative to an existing element in the NFV-basedcommunication network.

As shown further in FIG. 1, the at least one new element is added to aservice model associated with the NFV-based communication network,without disruption of existing elements in the NFV-based communicationnetwork. See operation 104.

The existing elements in the NFV-based communication network may includeone or more virtual network functions or one or more services. Forexample, the existing elements in the NFV-based communication networkmay include one or more instantiated services. In one embodiment, atleast a portion of the existing elements may include hardware-basedelements.

Further, a selection policy associated with the at least one new networkelement is generated. See operation 106. The selection policy is used toindicate under what conditions the new network element should beselected for use.

The conditions may include any conditions associated with the network,the new element, and/or the existing elements. For example, theselection policy associated with the new network element may considerKey Performance Indicators (KPIs) when determining whether to utilizethe new network element. As another example, the selection policyassociated with the new network element may consider errors whendetermining whether to utilize the new network element. As anotherexample, the selection policy associated with the new network elementmay consider a cost of use of one or more elements when determiningwhether to utilize the new network element. As another example, theselection policy associated with the new network element may consider aone or more business rules when determining whether to utilize the newnetwork element.

In one embodiment, the selection policy associated with the new networkelement may function to allow switching between use of the new networkelement and another network element of the existing elements. Moreover,the at least one new element is utilized in the NFV-based communicationnetwork, in accordance with the selection policy. See operation 108.

In one embodiment, an NFV orchestrator (NFV-O) module and/or elementsassociated therewith may implement the method 100. The NFV-O module mayinclude any module capable of managing data flow associated with theVNFs and/or the physical elements of the communication network system.The NFV-O module may be operable to preserve service continuity whenmigrating a VNF (or a group of VNFs, or a service, etc.) betweenhardware units, and/or when migrating a VNF functionality (or thefunctionality of a group of VNFs, or a service) between different VNFs(e.g. between VNF(s) of different VNF vendors). Of course, in variousembodiments, the method 100 may be implemented by any module orcombination of modules.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the method 100 may include generating ascope scaling strategy associated with the at least one new networkelement. In this case, generating the scope scaling strategy may includea scaling up or scaling down of a scope associated with a use of thenetwork element. In one embodiment, the scaling up of the scopeassociated with the use of the at least one new network element mayinclude at least one of increasing a community of users associated withthe at least one new network element or scaling up a capacity associatedwith the at least one new network element. Scaling down may includeindividually switching users away from test version whenever theyindividually experience a problem (one thing is to reduce a generalscope due to a failure, another is to make sure that any user whoexperienced failure is instantly switched out of the test version).

Further, in one embodiment, the method 100 may include changing theselection policy.

For example, at least one of key performance indicators, errorstatistics, business rules, and/or cost of use information may bereceived. In this case, it may be determined whether to change a scopeof the selection policy based on the received key performanceindicators, error statistics, business rules, and/or cost of useinformation. If it is determined to change the scope of the selectionpolicy based on the received key performance indicators, errorstatistics, business rules, and/or cost of use information, theselection policy may be changed. In this case, changing the selectionpolicy to change the scope of the selection policy may function toincrease or decrease the scope of use of the at least one new networkelement.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the method 100 may include determiningwhether to switch the existing services. In this case, one or more ofthe existing network services may be identified and re-orchestrated ifit is determined to switch the existing services.

In the context of the present description, the terms “network” and“communication network” refer to the hardware and software connectingone or more communication elements including wireline networks, wirelessnetworks, and/or combinations thereof.

The terms “network function virtualization” (NFV) and virtual networkfunction (NFV) are described in a series of documents published by theEuropean Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and availablefrom the ETSI website. The term “virtual network function or feature”(VNF) refers to a particular implementation of a function, a feature, ora service provided by the network, internally within the network, orexternally to a customer, subscriber, end-user, a terminal or a server.A VNF may include the software program implementation of the function orfeature or service. The term VNF instance (VNF-I) refers to a particularprocess or task executing the VNF program by a particular virtualmachine or processor or computing facility and/or used by a particularcustomer (or subscriber, end-user, terminal or server, etc.).

The term “service” refers to any type of use (such as a use case) that aNFV-based communication network may offer or provide to one or morecommunication elements. A service may include switching data or contentbetween any number of elements, providing content from a server to acommunication element or between servers, securing and protectingcommunication and content, processing content provided by the customeror by a third party, providing backup and redundancy, etc. A service maybe using partial functionality of a VNF or may include one or more VNFsand/or one or more VNF instances forming a service sub-network (orinterconnection model). In the context of the present description, theterm “chain” may refer to such service sub-network, such as a particularplurality of VNFs and/or VNF instances associated with a particularservice type or a service instance.

The term “deployment”, when referring to hardware elements, includingprocessing elements, memory elements, storage elements, connectivity(communication) elements, etc., refer to the configuration or topologyof these hardware elements creating the NFV-based network. The term“deployment”, when referring to software elements, such a VNFs and VNFinstances, refers to the association between such software elements andhardware elements.

The term “deployment optimizations” refers to association of softwareand hardware elements in a manner that satisfies a particular set ofrequirements and/or rules, such as load-related and performance-relatedrequirements, or a manner that makes a better use of a particularhardware deployment, such as by reducing operational cost.

The terms “service deployment optimization”, or “service optimization”or “chain optimization” refer to optimizing the deployment of a servicechain, i.e., optimizing the deployment of one or more VNF instancesmaking a particular service. The terms chain optimization and serviceoptimization may thus be used interchangeably.

The term “session” refers to a communication connection between two ormore entities that persists for a period of time during which data maybe exchanged there between. A session may be implemented and managed bya session layer in the corresponding network protocol. The term sessionmay include a network session and a logical session. The network sessionmay be associated with the devices used to communicate, while thelogical session may be associated with the communicating parties (users)and may persist regardless of the communication means that the partiesare using.

The term “service continuity” includes and applies to the terms “sessioncontinuity” and “streaming continuity”. Streaming refers to streamingmedia, session or service, such as sound (including voice), video,multimedia, animation, etc. The term service usually applies to a groupof VNFs (or the functionality provided by the group of VNFs) but mayalso apply to a single VNF (or the functionality provided by the VNF).The term “continuity” indicates that the session or the service is notinterrupted, or that an interruption is short enough that a user is notaware of such interruption, or that the interruption does not cause anyloss of data, or that the loss is handled in acceptable manner (e.g. afew packets of speech lost, but the conversation can continue, etc.).

The term “availability” or “service availability” refers to a level ofthe service, or a characteristic of the service, in which the serviceprovider should provide the service, albeit possible hardware orsoftware faults. For example, the service provider may obligate to thecustomer to provide a particular level of processing power,communication features such as bandwidth, latency, and jitter, databaseconsistency, etc. Such level or characteristic of the service should beavailable to the customer even when a hardware component or a softwarecomponent providing the service do not function properly. Providingavailability may therefore require additional resources such as backupresources and/or mirroring. Hence “availability” may also refer to theterms “fault recovery” and “redundancy”.

The term “fault recovery” refers to the process of recovering one ormore of the network's services, functions, and features after a fault,whether caused by a hardware malfunction, a system crash, a software bugor a security breech or fault. A hardware malfunction includes, but isnot limited to, any type of inadequate performance associated with, forexample, power supply, processing units, memory, storage, transmissionline, etc. The term “fault recovery” also applies to recovering thefunctionality of one or more VNFs or VNF instances with respect to anyof the above. The terms security breech or security fault may be usedinterchangeably.

The term “redundancy” refers to any type of component of the networkthat is fully or partly duplicated, provided in standby mode, orotherwise available, to replace another component of the network whenthat other component stops functioning properly or otherwise indicatessome kind of fault. Redundancy may apply, but is not limited to,hardware, software, data and/or content.

More illustrative information will now be set forth regarding variousoptional architectures and uses in which the foregoing method may or maynot be implemented, per the desires of the user. It should be stronglynoted that the following information is set forth for illustrativepurposes and should not be construed as limiting in any manner. Any ofthe following features may be optionally incorporated with or withoutthe exclusion of other features described.

The principles and operation of a system, method, and computer programproduct for adding a new element to a NFV-based communication networkaccording to various embodiments may be further understood withreference to the following drawings and accompanying description.

FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified diagram of a system 200 associated withan NFV-based communication network 210, in accordance with oneembodiment. As an option, the system 200 may be implemented in thecontext of the details of FIG. 1. Of course, however, system 200 may beimplemented in the context of any desired environment. Further, theaforementioned definitions may equally apply to the description below.

As shown in FIG. 2, at least one NFV-based network 210 is provided. TheNFV-based communication network 210 includes an NFV management system2111, an NFV-orchestration (NFV-O) module 212, and a new elementimplementation module 213, according to one embodiment.

In the context of the present network architecture, the NFV-basednetwork 210 may take any form including, but not limited to atelecommunications network, a local area network (LAN), a wirelessnetwork, a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, peer-to-peernetwork, cable network, etc. While only one network is shown, it shouldbe understood that two or more similar or different NFV-based networks210 may be provided.

The NFV-based network 210 may include one or more computation facilities214, each including one or more hardware units and being interconnectedby communication links to form the NFV-based network 210. At least oneof the computation facilities 214 may include the NFV management system211. The NFV management system 211 may include the NFV-O module 212 andthe new element implementation module 213.

The NFV-O module 212 may be executed by one or more processors, orservers, such as computation facilities 214, of the NFV-based network210. The NFV-O module 212 may be executed as an NFV-O instance orcomponent. The NFV-O module 212 may therefore include a plurality ofNFV-O instances or components as will be further explained below.

The new element implementation module 213 may be a part or a componentof the NFV-O module 212. However, the new element implementation module213, the NFV-O module 212 and the NFV management system 211 may beseparate software programs provided by different vendors. In oneembodiment, the NFV-based network 210 may even have a plurality of anyof the NFV management systems 211, the NFV-O modules 212, and/or the newelement implementation module 213.

A plurality of devices 215 are communicatively coupled to the NFV-basednetwork 210. For example, a server computer 216 and a computer orterminal 217 may be coupled to the NFV-based network 210 forcommunication purposes. Such end-user computer or terminal 217 mayinclude a desktop computer, a lap-top computer, a tablet computer,and/or any other type of logic or data processing device. Still yet,various other devices may be coupled to the NFV-based network 210including a personal digital assistant (PDA) device 218, a mobile phonedevice 219, a television 220 (e.g. cable, aerial, mobile, or satellitetelevision, etc.) 2, etc. These devices 215 may be owned and/or operatedby end-users, subscribers and/or customers of the NFV-based network 210.Others of the devices 215, such as administration station 221, may beowned and/or operated by the operator of the NFV-based network 210.

A network administrator 222 may supervise at least some aspects of theoperation of the NFV-based network 210 by controlling an NFVinfrastructure including the NFV management system 211, the NFV-O 212,and the new element implementation module 213.

FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified block diagram 300 of a hardware unit 323of an NFV-based network, in accordance with one embodiment. As anoption, the block diagram 300 may be viewed in the context of thedetails of the previous Figures. Of course, however, block diagram 300may be viewed in the context of any desired environment. Further, theaforementioned definitions may equally apply to the description below.

In one embodiment, the hardware unit 323 may represent a computingfacility 214 of FIG. 2, or a part of a computing facility 214. Thehardware unit 323 may include a computing machine. The term computingmachine relates to any type or combination of computing devices, orcomputing-related units, including, but not limited to, a processingdevice, a memory device, a storage device, and/or a communicationdevice.

The hardware unit 323 may therefore be a network server, and thecomputing facility 214 may be a plurality of network servers, or adata-center, including cloud-based infrastructure. As an option, thehardware unit 323 may be implemented in the context of any of thedevices of the NFV-based network 210 of FIG. 2 and/or FIG. 5 and in anydesired communication environment.

Each hardware unit 323 (or computing machine, computing device,computing-related unit, and/or hardware component, etc.), including eachcommunication link between such hardware units, may be associated withone or more performance type and a respective performance rating orvalue, where the hardware unit and/or communication link is operative toprovide the performance value. Performance types are, for example,processing power, cash memory capacity, regular memory capacity (e.g.RAM, dynamic, or volatile memory, etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g. suchas flash memory, etc.) capacity, storage capacity, power, cooling,bandwidth, bitrate, latency, jitter, bit error rate, and packet loss,etc. Virtual machines may run on top of the hardware unit 323 and a VNFmay be run on one or more of such virtual machines.

The hardware unit 323 may be operative to provide computinginfrastructure and resources for any type and/or instance of softwarecomponent executed within the NFV-based network 210 of FIG. 2. In thisregard, the hardware unit 323 may be operative to process any of theprocesses described herein, including but not limited to, anyNFV-related software component and/or process. The hardware unit 323 isoperative to process virtual network functions (VNFs), VNF instances,network function virtualization orchestration (NFV-O) software, modulesand functions, data center management software, and/or cloud managementsystems (CMS), etc.

In various embodiments, the hardware unit 323 may include at least oneprocessor unit 324, one or more memory units 325 (e.g. random accessmemory (RAM), a non-volatile memory such as a Flash memory, etc.), oneor more storage units 326 (e.g. including a hard disk drive and/or aremovable storage drive, representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetictape drive, a compact disk drive, etc.), one or more communication units327, one or more graphic processors 328 and displays 329, and one ormore communication buses 330 connecting the various units/devices.

The hardware unit 323 may also include one or more computer programs331, or computer control logic algorithms, which may be stored in any ofthe memory units 325 and/or storage units 326. Such computer programs,when executed, enable the hardware unit 323 to perform various functions(e.g. as set forth in the context of FIG. 1, etc.). The memory units 325and/or the storage units 326 and/or any other storage are possibleexamples of tangible computer-readable media.

It is appreciated that computer program 331 may include any of the NFVmanagement system 211, the NFV-O 212, and/or the new elementimplementation module 213 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a simplified diagram of an NFV management system 411,in accordance with one embodiment. As an option, the NFV managementsystem 411 may be implemented in the context of the details of theprevious Figures. For example, in one embodiment, the NFV managementsystem 411 may represent the NFV management system 211 of FIG. 2. Ofcourse, however, the NFV management system 411 may be implemented in thecontext of any desired environment. Further, the aforementioneddefinitions may equally apply to the description below.

In one embodiment, the NFV management system 411 may include an NFV-Omodule 412, and a new element implementation module 413. The NFVmanagement system 411 may include one or more NFV-O modules 412. Invarious embodiments, each of the NFV-O modules 412 may includeorchestration and workflow management 432 that is responsible formanaging (i.e. orchestrating) and executing all NFV-O processes,including inbound and/or outbound communication and interfaces.

The NFV management system 411 may include a deployment optimizationmodule 433 that enables a user to devise automatic mechanisms fornetwork optimizations. The deployment optimization module 433 mayoperate these mechanisms automatically and continuously to optimize thedistribution of VNFs 450 and their VNF instances in real-time (ornear-real-time) by migrating VNFs 450 and VNF instances (e.g. VNFinstances 551 of FIG. 5, etc.) between hardware units (e.g. hardwareunits 551 of FIG. 5, etc.).

The NFV management system 411 may also include a chain optimizationmodule 434. The chain optimization module 434 may be a part ofdeployment optimization module 433 and may enable a user to deviseautomatic mechanisms for optimizing the deployment of chains or groupsof VNFs 450 and VNF instances. A service provided by an NFV-basednetwork is typically made of a particular chain or group of particularVNFs 450 and their respective VNF instances. The chain optimizationmodule 434 optimizes the deployment of chains or groups of servicesbetween hardware units according to the requirements and specificationsassociated with and/or adapted to the particular service, or chain, or agroup.

The chain optimization module 434 may operate these mechanismsautomatically and continuously to optimize in real-time the operation ofchains or groups of the VNFs 450 and their VNF instances by re-planningtheir distribution among hardware units and optionally also by migratingthe VNFs 450 and associated VNF instances between hardware units.

The NFV management system 411 may also include a service fulfillmentmodule 435 that manages service and resource (e.g. VNF) instancelifecycle activities as part of the process and orchestrationactivities. This may include on boarding, initiation (e.g.instantiation), installation and configuration, scaling, termination,software update (e.g. of a running VNF, etc.), test environment, and/orrollback procedure. Additionally, the service fulfillment module 435 mayalso provide decomposition of an order to multiple network services, andthe activation of such network service as a single VNF instance, or as achain of VNF instances.

Order decomposition includes translating business orders into a networkoriented service implementation plan. For example, a business order maybe decomposed into a plurality of functions, some of which may beprovided by different software programs or modules (e.g. such as variousVNFs) instantiated as a plurality of VNF instances across one or moredata centers. Performing order decomposition, the service fulfillmentmodule 435 may consult the deployment optimization module 433 for thebest deployment option to customer order in a given network and resourcecondition. Performing order decomposition, the service fulfillmentmodule 435 may then initiate the service including all its components.Order decomposition may be performed in several locations across anNFV-O hierarchy. For example, initial decomposition may be performed inthe root of the NFV-O, and then further decomposition may be performedin the relevant data centers.

In one embodiment, an activation and provisioning module may provide theplan for activation and provisioning of the service to the orchestrationand workflow management 432. The activation and provisioning module mayalso provide feedback on fulfilment status to an upper layer. This upperlayer may include the business support services (BSS).

The NFV management system 411 may also include an assurance module 436and a service management module 452 capable of gathering real time dataon network elements' status and creating a consolidated view of servicesand network health. The assurance module 436 includes assurancefunctionality and may interact with the service management module 452 toperform assurance related lifecycle management procedures. Lifecyclemanagement can be also triggered by other modules, policies, manualintervention, or from the VNFs themselves, etc. The assurance module 436and the service management module 452 may also trigger events associatedwith lifecycle management and faults. The assurance module 436 and theservice management module 452 may monitor the health of the network andmay execute fault recovery activities.

The assurance module 436 and the service management module 452 providethe ability to monitor services' status and performance according to therequired criteria. The assurance module 436 and the service managementmodule 452 may also interact with the network infrastructure (e.g.including computing, storage, and networking, etc.) to receive therequired information, analyze the information, and act upon eachincident according to the defined policy. The assurance module 436 andthe service management module 452 are able to interact with analytics toenrich a policy assurance module. Interfaces may also be provided forimplementation by an external system.

The NFV management system 411 may also include a policy managementmodule 437 that enables a user to define and configure offline and/orreal-time policy for controlling VNF and service related rules. Thepolicy management module 437 may contain the preconfigured policies andactivities as well as selection rules for the NFV-O process to determinethe preferred policy or activity to be performed for a particularprocess event. The policy management may be multi-layered, includingvendor policy, service policy, and operator policy, etc. The policymechanism may trigger the suitable policy layer(vendor/service/operator).

The NFV management system 411 may also include an administration module438 that provides an overall view of the network, manual lifecyclemanagement and intervention, and manual system administration andconfiguration. The administration module 438 may be operable to enable auser such as an administrator (e.g. administrator 222 of FIG. 2, etc.)to manage, view, and operate the NFV-O system. The administration module438 may also provide a view of the network topology and services, theability to perform specific activities such as manual lifecyclemanagement, and changing service and connectivity configuration.

The NFV management system 411 may also include an inventory managementmodule 439 that maintains a distributed view of deployed services andhardware resources. Inventory catalogues may reflect the currentinstantiation and allocation of the resources and services within thenetwork mapped into products and/or customer entities.

The NFV management system 411 may also include a big data analyticsmodule 440 that analyzes network and service data to support networkdecisions involving services and subscribers to improve networkperformance based on actual usage patterns. The big data analyticsmodule 440 may also generate what-if scenarios to supportbusiness-oriented planning processes. Additionally, the big dataanalytics module 440 may function to analyze and evaluate theinformation for various planning aspects (e.g. Virtual Network CapacityPlanning, Data Center Capacity Planning, Value based planning, Costanalysis for network deployment alternatives, etc.), deployment andmanagement (e.g. Guided Operator Recommendations, What-if scenarioanalysis and simulation, application rapid elasticity and resource usageoptimization, etc.), and may support business-oriented planningprocesses.

The NFV management system 411 may also include a catalog module 441 mayinclude records defining various aspects of the network, such asproducts, services, and resources such as hardware units and VNFs (e.g.a VNF directory, etc.). The catalog module 441 may include a collectionof centralized, hierarchical information repositories containingresource, service and product definitions with their relationship,versioning, and/or descriptors, etc. Such records may include templatesenabling a user, such as an administrator, to define particular networkcomponents such as resources, products, services, etc. A resourcetemplate may define resources descriptors, attributes, activities,procedures, and/or connectivity, etc. A service template may define aservice variation from resource building blocks. A product template maydefine parameters of a sellable product (e.g. prices, rating, etc.)based on service composition (e.g. in one embodiment, this may be partof a BSS catalogue).

The inventory management module 439, the big data analytics module 440,and/or the catalog module 441 may support multiple data centers,multiple CMSs and provide a centralized view across the infrastructure.The inventory management module 439, the big data analytics module 440,and/or the catalog module 441 may also support hybrid networks andservices maintaining both physical and virtual resources.

The NFV management system 411 may also include an accounting andlicensing module 442 that may be operable to record and manage networksoftware usage data for commercial purposes including licensing,accounting, billing, and reconciliation of services with subscribers andproviders. The accounting and licensing module 442 may manage licensingand usage of virtual network applications, including the ability tosupport complex rating schemes, based on various parameters such as CPU,memory, data, etc. The accounting and licensing module 442 may enableusers to define the pricing of particular VNF modules and providesettlement with vendors. The accounting and licensing module 442 mayalso enable the evaluation of internal costs of services provided withinthe network for calculating return on investment (ROI).

The NFV management system 411 may also include a fault recovery module443 (otherwise named disaster recovery planning module or DRP, etc.)that enables a user to plan and manage disaster recovery procedures forthe NFV-O and/or the entire network.

The NFV management system 411 may also include a security managementmodule 444 that provides the authentication authorization and accountingservices of application security across the network. The securitymanagement module 444 may include, for example, an authentication moduleand function. In one embodiment, the authentication module and function(e.g. including identity management, etc.) may authenticate the identityof each user defined in the system. Each user may have a unique useridentity and password. The system may support password basedauthentication with flexible password policy. Integration with externalauthentication providers may be done via additional system enhancements.The authorization module and function may support a role-based accesscontrol (RBAC) mechanism, where each user is assigned with one or moreroles according to the business needs based on the least privilegesconcept (e.g. standard or administrator roles). In one embodiment, theaccounting and licensing module 442 may provide an audit of securityevents such as authentication or login events.

As an option, the security management module 444 may use rules toprotect sensitive information. For example, such rules may be used toensure the data accessed is used for the specific purposes for which itwas collected, sensitive information is encrypted when instorage/transit and masked/truncated on display and logs, and that theentire security system is deployed in the customer's intranet network(i.e. behind network/infrastructure measures), in an independent domain,etc.

In one embodiment, the NFV management system 411 may further include aSecure Development Life Cycle (SDLC) module that ensures that securityaspects are handled during a project's life cycle, such as securitydesign, security testing, etc.

As shown further in FIG. 4, the NFV management system 411 may include aservice planning module 445. The service planning module 445 may be usedby a communication service provider (CSP) sales representative,enterprise, and/or technician, as part of selling engagement processwith enterprise/SMB customers.

The service planning module 445 may also provide the ability to interactwith catalogues, customer data, network and ordering systems to provideonline network service proposals for the enterprise customers withability to quote update the proposal, validate the serviceability andnetwork inventory, and once done, provide the service order foractivation using the northbound interface.

The new element implementation module 413 may also be part of the NFV-Omodule 412. The new element implementation module 413 may be operableto: identify at least one new element to implement in a NFV-basedcommunication network; add the new element to a service model associatedwith the NFV-based communication network without disruption of existingelements in the NFV-based communication network; generate a selectionpolicy associated with the new network element; and/or utilize (orfacilitate use of) the new element in the NFV-based communicationnetwork in accordance with the selection policy. Moreover, the newelement implementation module 413 may be utilized to implementfunctionally described in the context of FIG. 1.

The NFV management system 411 may also include east/west APIs 446 thatinclude various domains/activities interfaces, including an informationsource to a big data repository, and interaction capability with aphysical network system (OSS).

Northbound APIs 447 provides application programming interfaces (APIs)to various external software packages, such as business support system(BSS) for service order fulfilment, cancel and update activities, statusnotification, resource inventory view, monitoring system, assurancesystem, service planning tool, administration tool for system view andconfiguration, and big data repository, etc.

Further, the southbound APIs 448 may provide APIs for external softwarepackages, such as CMS (including service and VNFs lifecycleactivities—receiving from the infrastructure status and monitoringinformation for upstream system and activities [e.g. assurance]), an SDNController (or other connectivity system) to configure inter and intradata center connectivity, an EMS to configure the VNF, and a VNF for adirect configuration.

FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified diagram 500 of a deployed NFV-basednetwork 510, in accordance with one embodiment. As an option, thediagram 500 may be viewed in the context of the details of the previousFigures. For example, in one embodiment, the deployed NFV-based network510 and associated elements may represent the NFV-based networks andassociated elements described in the context of the previous Figures. Ofcourse, however, the diagram 500 may be viewed in the context of anydesired environment. Further, the aforementioned definitions may equallyapply to the description below.

As shown in FIG. 5, the NFV-based network 510 may include hardware units523 connected via transmission lines 549, and VNFs implemented assoftware programs 550 installed in hardware units 523. Some of thehardware units 523 may be directly connected to a customer. The customermay be a subscriber, an end-user, or an organization, represented hereinas a terminal or a server 552, or a plurality of terminals and/orservers 552. The NFV-based network 510 may also include a NFV managementsystem 511, an NFV-orchestration (NFV-O) 512, and a new elementimplementation module 513 (which may all represent elements described inthe context of the previous figures, etc.).

As shown further in FIG. 5, several, typically different, VNFs 550 maybe installed in the same hardware unit 523. Additionally, the same VNF550 may be installed in different hardware units 523.

A VNF 550 may be executed by a processor of the hardware unit 523 in theform of a VNF instance 551. Therefore, a particular VNF 550 installed ina particular hardware unit 523 may be “incarnated” in (e.g. initiated,executed as, etc.) any number of VNF instances 551. The VNF instances551 may be independent of each other. Additionally, each VNF instance551 may serve different terminals and/or servers 552. The NFV-basednetwork 510 connects to and between communication terminal devices 552that may be operated by one or more customers, subscribers, and/orend-users.

It is appreciated that a network operator may manage one or moreservices deployed in the customer's premises. Therefore, some of thehardware units 523 may reside within the premises of the networkoperator, while other hardware units 523 may reside in the customer'spremises. Similarly, a server, such as server computer 216 of FIG. 2,may reside in the premises of the network operator or in the customer'spremises. Consequently, when the network operator provides and/ormanages one or more services for a customer's terminal devices 552 suchas a server computer, the NFV-based network 510 of the network operatormay directly manage the VNFs 550, providing the services and their VNFinstances 551.

In such situation, the NFV-based network 510 may manage the servicesirrespectively of the location of the terminal devices 552 (e.g. theserver computer 216, etc.), whether in the premises of the networkoperator or in the customer's premises. In other words, the NFV-basednetwork 510 may be managing the VNFs 550 and the VNF instances 551providing the services, as well as the terminal devices 552 (e.g. theserver computer 216, etc.) being co-located within the same computingdevice (e.g. the hardware unit 523, etc.), whether in the premises ofthe network operator or in the customer's premises or in a commercialcloud or any other place.

A service provided by the communication network may be implemented usingone or more VNFs. For example, the service may be a group, or a chain ofinterconnected VNFs. The VNFs making the group, or the service, may beinstalled and executed by a single processor, by several processors onthe same rack, within several racks in the same data-center, or byprocessors distributed within two or more data-centers. In some cases,chain optimization may be employed by optimizing the deployment of aservice in a communication network using network functionvirtualization, and to optimizing the deployment of a group, or a chain,of virtual network functions in the NFV-based network 510. Therefore,the term “chain optimization” refers to the planning and/or managing ofthe deployment of VNFs making a chain, or a group, of VNFs providing aparticular service.

For example, FIG. 5 shows a first service 553, including the VNFs 550and their respective VNF instances 554, 555, 556, and 557, and a thickline. In this example, the group or chain of the VNFs 550 making firstservice 553 are connected as a chain of VNFs 550. However, the VNFs 550making a service may be connected in any conceivable form such as astar, tree-root, tree-branch, mesh, etc., including combinationsthereof. It is noted that the VNFs 550 may be executed by two or moreVNF instances 551, such as VNF 554.

The deployment of the group or chain of the VNFs 550 making the firstservice 553 is therefore limited by constraints such as the capacity ofthe communication link 549 bandwidth and/or latency (delay).

A VNF may have a list of requirements, or specifications, such asprocessing power, cash memory capacity, regular memory capacity (e.g.RAM, dynamic, or volatile memory, etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g. suchas flash memory, etc.) capacity, storage capacity, power requirements,cooling requirements, etc. A particular VNF instance 551 providing aparticular function (e.g. to a particular customer, entity, etc.) mayhave further requirements, or modified requirements, for example,associated with a particular quality of service (QoS) or service levelagreement (SLA). Such requirements may include maximum latency or delay,average latency and maximum variance (latency jitter), maximal allowedpacket loss, etc. Other requirements may include service availability,redundancy, backup, provisions for roll-back and/or recovery,fault-tolerance, and/or fail-safe operation, etc.

A service made of a chain or a group of VNFs 550 and their VNF instances551 may have a similar list of requirements, or specifications, coveringthe service as a whole. Therefore, such requirements, or specifications,may imply, affect, or include, requirements, or specifications,regarding communication links between the VNFs 550 and/or the VNFinstances 551. Such requirements, or specifications, may includebandwidth, latency, bit-error rate, and/or packet loss, etc. Suchcommunication requirements or specifications may further imposedeployment limitations, or constraints, requiring particular VNFs 550and/or VNF instances 551 to reside in the same data-center, or withinthe same rack, or even in the same computing device, for example,sharing memory or being executed by the same processor. Securitymeasures may add further requirements, or specifications, such asco-location of some of the VNFs 550 and/or the VNF instances 551.

In the context of FIG. 5, the NFV-based network 510 has a hierarchicalstructure. There may be at least four aspects of the hierarchicalstructure of the NFV-based network 510. The networking or traffic aspectrefers to the arrangement of the transmission lines between the hardwareunits 523. The processing aspect refers to the arrangement of thehardware units 523. The software aspect refers to the arrangement of theVNFs 550. The operational aspect refers to the arrangement of the VNFinstances 551.

One aspect of the optimization process in an NFV-based network is thatit may be based on real-time needs, rather than long-term, statisticallyanticipated, needs. One potential limitation on network reconfigurationin NFV-based networks is that network configuration does not result in adeterioration beyond acceptable level of any of the current services.The NFV deployment module (e.g. module 433 of FIG. 4, etc.) may functionto enable and manage migration of services between the hardware units523, the VNFs 550, and the VNF instances 551 in real-time, withoutaffecting or with a minimal effect on the availability of a service, andwhile securing service and session continuity.

In the context of the current description, the term “continuous” meansthat the deployment optimization module and/or a chain optimizationmodule (e.g. the chain optimization module 434 of FIG. 4, etc.) performsthe relevant optimization task or process in run-time, or real-time, oronline, or on-the-fly, or repetitively and without adversely affectingthe network's functionality and its services.

Unlike a legacy network, the NFV-based network may have two topologies:the topology of the hardware devices, and the topology of the VNFs (thedistribution of VNFs among the hardware devices). The topology of thehardware network is relatively stable, while the VNF topology can beoptimized in real-time. Another benefit of the NFV-based network is thatmodifying the software topology (e.g. the distribution of VNFs among thehardware devices) is much less costly than any modification of thehardware topology. However, any modification of the network has itscost, including the cost of making such modification possible. Addedcost may result from the need to process the modification of thetopology and the re-distribution of VNF instances and to maintain excessresources for such purpose.

Thus, in some cases, it may be desired to localize the NFV-O 512, andparticularly the deployment optimization processes associated with thedeployment optimization module and the chain optimization module toreduce the cost, and simultaneously to secure the possibility to expandthe scope of the network managed by these processes, if needed.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example 600 of adding a new element to anNFV-based communication network, in accordance with one embodiment. Asan option, the example 600 may be implemented in the context of thedetails of the previous Figures. Of course, however, the example 600 maybe implemented in the context of any desired environment. Further, theaforementioned definitions may equally apply to the description below.

As shown, implementation B is added to an NFV-based service, whichalready includes implementation A and implementation C.

Typical processes for introduction of new NFV components (e.g. newservices, new VNFs, devices, or even software upgrades to those items,etc.) requires massive efforts and is typically performed over aprolonged period of time (e.g. including lab testing, small pilots,limited rollout, etc.). Even with massive testing, this is a high riskoperation that often needs rollbacks, manual intervention, and mayinvolve customer service disruption as well.

Accordingly, the techniques described herein provide an alternativeapproach that relies on the built-in highly modular and adaptive natureof NFV networks to add new solutions directly into production systems ina way that is safe, cheap, and more closely aligned with the realcustomer use profiles. Moreover, such addition does not require design,supervision, or definitions of success criteria, since the new additionis always working in production against relative success criteria thatis automatically generated from other production control groups. Thus,the additions require no human interaction.

The NFV modeling referenced herein supports alternative compatibleimplementations of a service at any level. This means that at any levelof the model a new implementation may be added without impactingexisting (instantiated) services.

In such modeling, as an example, the decision to use implementation A orB may be changed at any time, and good NFV systems can do this on a liveservice without any (or very little) disruption of the service.

In one embodiment, service Key Performance Indicators and/or errors maybe visible to the NFV system and may influence policy decisions,including the decision to switch between implementation A and B. Thistechnique also covers complete or partial failure of services.

FIG. 7A illustrates a method 700 for adding a new element to anNFV-based communication network, in accordance with one embodiment. Asan option, the method 700 may be implemented in the context of thedetails of the previous figures. Of course, however, the method 700 maybe implemented in the context of any desired environment. Further, theaforementioned definitions may equally apply to the description below.

FIG. 7A includes the preparation process for adding a new sub-service asan alternative implementation into one or more services. As shown, a newsub-service “B” is on-boarded. See operation 702.

Sub-service B is then added to a service model as an alternativeimplementation. See operation 704. A select/deselect policy (absolute orrelative to a control group) is created. See operation 706.

Further, a scope scale in/rollback strategy/plan is created. Seeoperation 708.

FIG. 7B illustrates a method 720 for re-orchestrating existing servicesof an NFV-based communication network, in accordance with oneembodiment. As an option, the method 720 may be implemented in thecontext of the details of the previous figures. Of course, however, themethod 720 may be implemented in the context of any desired environment.Further, the aforementioned definitions may equally apply to thedescription below.

FIG. 7B illustrates the run time process which may occur periodically orupon KPI/error statistics reaching a threshold. As shown, it isdetermined whether to change a scope of a new element, based on KPIinformation and/or error statistics, or based on business criteria/cost.See operation 724. Further, a selection policy of the new element ischanged to increase or decrease the scope, based on the determination.See operation 726.

Additionally, it is determined whether to switch existing services orusers. See operation 728. If it is determined to switch any of theexisting services or users, selected services or users are identifiedand re-orchestrated. See operation 730.

This shows that, on an ongoing basis, the new implementation may competeagainst the incumbent implementation, and as long as it produces betterresults than the incumbent, the new implementation will continue to growin scope until it reaches maximum allowed growth. If it falls behind theincumbent, it will see its scope reduced accordingly.

The scope growth may be performed by selecting specific services (new orexisting) to switch implementations. If the B implementation fails, itis imperative that the service that experienced the failure will beexcluded (at least for some time) from being experimented on again. Thisis needed to spread the risk of failure across as many services aspossible and not use the same one repeatedly.

FIG. 8 illustrates a network architecture 800, in accordance with onepossible embodiment. As shown, at least one network 802 is provided. Inthe context of the present network architecture 800, the network 802 maytake any form including, but not limited to a telecommunicationsnetwork, a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a wide areanetwork (WAN) such as the Internet, peer-to-peer network, cable network,etc. While only one network is shown, it should be understood that twoor more similar or different networks 802 may be provided.

Coupled to the network 802 is a plurality of devices. For example, aserver computer 804 and an end user computer 806 may be coupled to thenetwork 802 for communication purposes. Such end user computer 806 mayinclude a desktop computer, lap-top computer, and/or any other type oflogic. Still yet, various other devices may be coupled to the network802 including a personal digital assistant (PDA) device 808, a mobilephone device 810, a television 812, etc.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary system 900, in accordance with oneembodiment. As an option, the system 900 may be implemented in thecontext of any of the devices of the network architecture 800 of FIG. 8.Of course, the system 900 may be implemented in any desired environment.

As shown, a system 900 is provided including at least one centralprocessor 901 which is connected to a communication bus 902. The system900 also includes main memory 904 [e.g. random access memory (RAM),etc.]. The system 900 also includes a graphics processor 906 and adisplay 908.

The system 900 may also include a secondary storage 910. The secondarystorage 910 includes, for example, a hard disk drive and/or a removablestorage drive, representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive,a compact disk drive, etc. The removable storage drive reads from and/orwrites to a removable storage unit in a well-known manner.

Computer programs, or computer control logic algorithms, may be storedin the main memory 904, the secondary storage 910, and/or any othermemory, for that matter. Such computer programs, when executed, enablethe system 900 to perform various functions (as set forth above, forexample). Memory 904, storage 910 and/or any other storage are possibleexamples of tangible computer-readable media.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment shouldnot be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: identifying, by a system, anew service to implement in a Network Function Virtualization based(NFV-based) communication network; adding, by the system, the newservice to a service model associated with the NFV-based communicationnetwork, without disruption of existing elements in the NFV-basedcommunication network, the new service added to the service model as acompatible alternative to an existing service that is implemented withina production system of the NFV-based communication network for use byone or more users of the NFV-based network; generating, through thesystem, a selection policy associated with the new service, theselection policy indicating: conditions under which the new service isto be implemented in the production system of the NFV-based network, andthe existing service that is implemented within the NFV-basedcommunication network for which the new service is the compatiblealternative; and switching from implementation of the existing servicewithin the production system of the NFV-based communication network toimplementation of the new service within the production system of theNFV-based communication network, in accordance with the selection policyincluding: when the conditions indicated in the selection policy are notmet, maintaining implementation of the existing service within theproduction system of the NFV-based communication network, and when theconditions indicated in the selection policy are met, switching from theimplementation of the existing service within the production system ofthe NFV-based communication network to implementation of the new servicewithin the production system of the NFV-based communication network. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein the existing elements in the NFV-basedcommunication network include one or more virtual network functions orone or more services.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the existingelements in the NFV-based communication network include one or moreinstantiated services.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectionpolicy associated with the new service considers Key PerformanceIndicators (KPIs).
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectionpolicy associated with the new service considers errors.
 6. The methodof claim 1, further comprising generating a scope scaling strategyassociated with the new service.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereingenerating the scope scaling strategy includes a scaling up or scalingdown of a scope associated with a use of the new service.
 8. The methodof claim 7, wherein the scaling up of the scope associated with the useof the new service includes at least one of increasing a community ofusers associated with the new service or scaling up a capacityassociated with the new service.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein thescaling down of the scope associated with the use of the new serviceincludes switching users away from a test version when the usersindividually experience a problem.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising receiving at least one or more of business rules, performanceindicators (KPIs), cost of use, or error statistics.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising determining whether to change a scope ofthe selection policy based on the received one or more business rules,key performance indicators, cost of use, or error statistics.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, wherein changing the scope of the selection policyfunctions to increase or decrease a scope of use of the new service. 13.The method of claim 1, wherein a scope scaling strategy is furtherdefined for the new service and indicates to increase or decrease use ofthe new service, and further comprising, after implementation of the newservice within the production system of the NFV-based communicationnetwork: receiving, by the system, information including at least one ofkey performance indicators, error statistics, business rules, and costof use information; determining, by the system, that a scope of use ofthe new service is to be modified, based on the scope scaling strategyand the received information; and modifying, by the system, theselection policy to change the scope of use of the new service, inaccordance with the scope scaling strategy.
 14. The method of claim 13,wherein the scope scaling strategy indicates to increase the use of thenew service by increasing a community of users associated with the newservice or by scaling up a capacity associated with the new service. 15.The method of claim 13, wherein the scope scaling strategy indicates todecrease the use of the new service when a failure is detected.
 16. Acomputer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readablemedium, comprising: computer code for identifying, by a system, a newservice to implement in a Network Function Virtualization based(NFV-based) communication network; computer code for adding, by thesystem, the new service to a service model associated with the NFV-basedcommunication network, without disruption of existing elements in theNFV-based communication network, the new service added to the servicemodel as a compatible alternative to an existing service that isimplemented within a production system of the NFV-based communicationnetwork for use by one or more users of the NFV-based network; computercode for generating, through the system, a selection policy associatedwith the new service, the selection policy indicating: conditions underwhich the new service is to be implemented in the production system ofthe NFV-based network, and the existing service that is implementedwithin the NFV-based communication network for which the new service isthe compatible alternative; and computer code for switching fromimplementation of the existing service within the production system ofthe NFV-based communication network to implementation of the new servicewithin the production system of the NFV-based communication network, inaccordance with the selection policy including: when the conditionsindicated in the selection policy are not met, maintainingimplementation of the existing service within the production system ofthe NFV-based communication network, and when the conditions indicatedin the selection policy are met, switching from the implementation ofthe existing service within the production system of the NFV-basedcommunication network to implementation of the new service within theproduction system of the NFV-based communication network.
 17. A systemcomprising: a memory system; and one or more processing cores coupled tothe memory system and that are each configured to: identify a newservice to implement in a Network Function Virtualization based(NFV-based) communication network; add the new service to a servicemodel associated with the NFV-based communication network, withoutdisruption of existing elements in the NFV-based communication network,the new service added to the service model as a compatible alternativeto an existing service that is implemented within a production system ofthe NFV-based communication network for use by one or more users of theNFV-based network; generate a selection policy associated with the newservice, the selection policy indicating: conditions under which the newservice is to be implemented in the production system of the NFV-basednetwork, and the existing service that is implemented within theNFV-based communication network for which the new service is thecompatible alternative; and switch from implementation of the existingservice within the production system of the NFV-based communicationnetwork to implementation of the new service within the productionsystem of the NFV-based communication network, in accordance with theselection policy including: when the conditions indicated in theselection policy are not met, maintaining implementation of the existingservice within the production system of the NFV-based communicationnetwork, and when the conditions indicated in the selection policy aremet, switching from the implementation of the existing service withinthe production system of the NFV-based communication network toimplementation of the new service within the production system of theNFV-based communication network.